[StBernard] George W. Stokes Company Fined for Violating the Clean Water Act

[Westley Annis]

George W. Stokes Company Fined for Violating the Clean Water Act 

  

(Dallas, Texas - September 9, 2009)  The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has fined the George W. Stokes Company, Inc. of Madisonville,
Louisiana, $1,800 for violating federal Spill Prevention, Control and
Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations outlined under the Clean Water Act.  A
federal inspection of a bulk storage facility located at 171 East Highway
22, Madisonville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, on May 14, 2009, revealed
the facility's SPCC plan was not certified by a professional engineer, had
inadequate or no information and procedures for reporting discharges, and
inspections and tests required by federal regulations did not follow written
procedures developed for the facility.  Personnel working at the site had no
training on the operation and maintenance of equipment to prevent
discharges, no training on discharge procedure protocols, and no training on
applicable pollution control laws, rules and regulations and general
facility operations.  The inspection also found spill prevention briefings
were not scheduled and conducted periodically, the site was not fully fenced
and entrance gates were not locked or guarded when unattended, and secondary
containment was inadequate for mobile or portable storage tanks.  As part of
an Expedited Settlement Agreement with EPA, the facility has provided
certification that all identified deficiencies have been corrected. 

  

SPCC regulations require onshore oil production or bulk storage facilities
to provide oil spill prevention, preparedness and response to prevent oil
discharges.  The SPCC program helps protect our nation's water quality.  A
spill of only one gallon of oil can contaminate one million gallons of
water. 

  

Additional information on SPCC regulations is available at
http://www.epa.gov/oilspill <http://www.epa.gov/oilspill>  

  

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at
http://www.epa.gov/region6 <http://www.epa.gov/region6>  

  

EPA audio file is available at
http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/sep2009.html
<http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/sep2009.html>  

  

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